Q: How do we know who to believe when there are so many interpretations of the Bible?

A: Unfortunately or fortunately, there is no infallible interpreter of the bible, nor is there infallible denomination or church. Therefore, no one is able and qualified to be the judge of biblical interpretations. Even after we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, we are still tainted by sin, aren't we? We all make mistakes. But the key is that all the essentials of our faith are clear in the bible. We don’t need infallible interpreter to determine that God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that Jesus atoned for our sins and was risen from the dead, that Jesus is the one and only way to salvation, that salvation is received by grace thru faith, that there is heaven and hell.

What I mean is that the core/essential truth a person needs to know in order to be saved is clear in the bible – is summarized in the creeds (Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian). Even on the non-essentials, if the principles of sola scriptura were consistently applied, there would be unanimity. One of the principles, as the Westminster Confession states, is that in order to understand unclear passages of Scripture, one ought to examine clearer passages to understand the more ambiguous ones.

Ok, let me wrap this up with citing this adage, "In essentials, unity (we are united in the essential truth); in non-essentials, liberty (but we are all responsible to the LORD); in all things, charity (no hate or bitterness, but love)."

What do you love when you love God?

St. Augustine in his Confessions, book X, answers this question:

But what do I love, when I love Thee? Not beauty of bodies, nor the fair harmony of time, nor the brightness of the light, so gladsome to our eyes, nor sweet melodies of varied songs, nor the fragrant smell of flowers, and ointments, and spices, not manna and honey, not limbs acceptable to embracements of flesh. None of these I love, when I love my God; and yet I love a kind of light, and melody, and fragrance, and meat, and embracement when I love my God, the light, melody, fragrance, meat, embracement of my inner man: where there shineth unto my soul what space cannot contain, and there soundeth what time beareth not away, and there smelleth what breathing disperseth not, and there tasteth what eating diminisheth not, and there clingeth what satiety divorceth not. This is it which I love when I love my God.